Ad description

A leaflet, inserted into Moshi Monster magazine, for a WWF fundraising appeal, showed a photograph of a snow leopard and included text that stated "Protect him now. Or lose him forever." On another page, text stated "ADOPT A SNOW LEOPARD. PROTECT A SPECIES. With as few as 300 left in Nepal, the snow leopard is facing a bitter battle for survival. But by adopting one today you could help these majestic animals claw their way back from the brink." Under the sub-heading "Your support. Their survival." text stated "…with your support, we can help protect the snow leopard for future generations". Under the sub-heading "Adoption means Protection" text stated "…you'll discover what it takes - and how it feels - to help save a species." The leaflet included two images of a cuddly leopard toy. On the reverse of the leaflet, there was a cut out donation form which stated "Yes, I'd like to adopt a snow leopard…Your money will support our work to help save the snow leopard, as well as other vital conservation projects and environmental work around the world."

Issue

The complainant challenged whether the ad was irresponsible because he believed it exploited children's susceptibility to charitable appeals.

Response

WWF-UK (WWF) provided the media schedule for the campaign. They said that they had published 1.85 million inserts in Moshi Monsters magazine and this was their first complaint. They explained that they had used a wide range of publications to ensure that they attracted as many adopters as possible. They said that a large proportion of their adopters were women with young children. They said many women welcomed the opportunity of adoption because it was educational for their children and a fun way to contribute to a cause. They said the ad deliberately used a different style to the children's magazine because the target audience was the adult, not the child. They pointed out that the ad was not glossy, did not contain cartoons or bright colours, had a muted appearance and contained heavy text. They said that, although two small images of soft toys were included, the overall look of the ad was unlikely to appeal to children. They said that they were not exploiting children, but endeavouring to raise awareness about the work that they were doing. They said that their adoption packages used positive language, emphasising the benefits of supporting a species, rather than focusing on a negative outcome should they not gain support. They said that they did not think a child reading the ad would feel pressured in any way. They said that the ad clearly explained how an adoption would help their campaigns. They said that they had requested the date of birth of the donor on the form and did not accept payments from children.

SkyJack Publishing, owners of Moshi Monsters Magazine, said that they had a long-standing relationship with WWF and their inserts were part of a fixed advertising schedule. They said they had published almost two million WWF leaflets during the lifetime of the magazine and this was their first complaint. They said the content of the ad was educational. They said it was important for young readers to be informed about environmental issues and the extinction of animals in the wild. They said that, for children, the process of adopting an animal with a parent was a fun way of being educated and contributing to a worthy cause. They said that the complexity of the ad's design and format showed that the leaflet was only targeting the adult, and not the child. They explained that the parent would decide whether or not to adopt the snow leopard. They said, should a child read the insert, they would not feel under pressure to contribute because the ad did not exploit children's vulnerability. They pointed out that only donations from adults were accepted from WWF, as they rejected payment from donors whose date of birth indicated they were under-18.

Assessment

Not Upheld

The ASA acknowledged that the leaflet was included in a children's magazine. We also noted that the leaflet included two images of soft leopard toys and that the text stated "Protect him now. Or lose him forever". However, we noted that most of the text on the leaflet was factual, providing information about the history of snow leopards and their present situation. We also noted that the general appearance of the leaflet was muted and sombre, which we considered was more likely to appeal to the adult, rather than the child. We noted that the leaflet explained the extent to which the participation would help in charitable-linked promotions, stating "Your money will support our work to help save the snow leopard, as well as other vital conservation projects and environmental work around the world". We also noted that WWF did not accept payments from those under-18 years of age. For those reasons, we concluded that the ad did not exploit children's susceptibility to charitable appeals.

We investigated the ad under CAP Code rules (Edition 12)  1.3 1.3 Marketing communications must be prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society.  (Responsible advertising),  5.2.2 5.2.2 children must not be made to feel that they are lacking in courage, duty or loyalty if they do not buy or do not encourage others to buy a product  and  5.3.2 5.3.2 must not exploit children's susceptibility to charitable appeals and must explain the extent to which their participation will help in any charity-linked promotions.  (Credulity and unfair pressure), but did not find it in breach.

Action

No further action necessary.

CAP Code (Edition 12)

1.3     5.2.2     5.3.2    


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